Head Coaches Who Won NFL Titles

     Since we're currently amidst the NFL playoffs, I thought I would do a post that's pro football related.  I've already done pieces about title winning teams (see my February 17, 2018 post), unlikely heroes in NFL Championship Games (December 30, 2017), unlikely Super Bowl heroes (January 30, 2014), quarterbacks who won NFL titles (February 10, 2016), and general Super Bowl trivia (January 29, 2013), but I haven't discussed coaches much.  So today I'm listing every single head coach of NFL title winners, chronologically, followed by a few bits of title-winning coaches trivia.
    Just as a reminder, from 1920-1932, the NFL title winner was determined by winning percentage, and not a playoff game or series.  Also, ties were not counted in this winning percentage, which led to some controversies (eventually the NFL adapted the rule that ties count as half a win, as they are today).  From 1933 to 1965, the NFL was divided up into two divisions, and the winner of each played in an NFL Championship Game to determine the NFL title holder.  During this time, there were two successful rival leagues.  The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) played from 1946-49, and had its own Championship Game between its two division winners.  Three teams from the AAFC, most notably the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, were absorbed by the NFL when the AAFC folded.  Then there was the American Football League (AFL), which played from 1960-69.  It had its own Championship Game from 1960-65, and then from 1966-69 the AFL champ played the NFL champ it what became known as the Super Bowl.  Then the AFL was absorbed into the NFL, and these teams made up the American Football Conference (AFC), while the original NFL teams were then designated as the National Football Conference (NFC).  (Three NFL teams were also moved to the AFC to make the number of teams in each conference even.)  Since 1970 the winners of the AFC and the NFL play in the Super Bowl to determine the overall NFL champ.  Also, many  playoff games, and all Super Bowl games are played in January or February of the following year.  So the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers won that season's Super Bowl in early 1976, and the 1999 St. Louis Rams won their Super Bowl in early 2000, etc.  I just find it easier to render it this way.
     Anyway, here's the list.  I'll mark each by year, head coach name, and team name.  A "DNP" is short for "Did Not Play," meaning that particular coach didn't play in the NFL.  "Player-coach" indicates that the man both played and head coached that NFL title winner.

Pre NFL Championship Years:

1920 Elgie Tobin, Akron Pros, player-coach.
1921 George Halas, Chicago Staleys (later became the Bears), player-coach.
1922 Guy Chamberlin, Canton Bulldogs, player-coach.
1923 Guy Chamberlin, Canton Bulldogs, player-coach.
1924 Guy Chamberlin, Cleveland Bulldogs, player-coach.
1925 Norm Barry, Chicago Cardinals.
1926 Guy Chamberlin, Frankford Yellow Jackets, player-coach.
1927 Earl Potteiger, New York Giants, player-coach.
1928 Jimmy Conzelman, Providence Steam Rollers, player-coach.
1929 Earl "Curly" Lambeau, Green Bay Packers, player-coach.
1930 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1931 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1932 Ralph Jones, Chicago Bears.

NFL Championship Game Years:

1933 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1934 Steve Owen, New York Giants.
1935 George "Potsy" Clark, Detroit Lions, DNP.
1936 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1937 Ray Flaherty, Washington Redskins.
1938 Steve Owen, New York Giants.
1939 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1940 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1941 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1942 Ray Flaherty, Washington Redskins.
1943 Heartly "Hunk" Anderson and Luke Johnsos, Chicago Bears.
1944 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1945 Adam Walsh, Cleveland Rams, DNP.
1946 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1947 Jimmy Conzelman, Chicago Cardinals.
1948 Earl "Greasy" Neale, Philadelphia Eagles, DNP.
1949 Greasy Neale, Philadelphia Eagles, DNP.
1950 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1951 Joe Stydahar, Los Angeles Rams.
1952 Buddy Parker, Detroit Lions.
1953 Buddy Parker, Detroit Lions.
1954 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1955 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1956 Jim Lee Howell, New York Giants.
1957 George Wilson, Detroit Lions.
1958 Weeb Ewbank, Baltimore Colts, DNP.
1959 Weeb Ewbank, Baltimore Colts, DNP.
1960 Buck Shaw, Philadelphia Eagles, DNP.
1961 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1962 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1963 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1964 Blanton Collier, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1965 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.

Super Bowl Years, pre-AFL/NFL merger:

1966 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1967 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1968 Weeb Ewbank, New York Jets, DNP.
1969 Hank Stram, Kansas City Chiefs, DNP.

Super Bowl Years, post AFL-NFL merger:

1970 Don McCafferty, Baltimore Colts.
1971 Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys.
1972 Don Shula, Miami Dolphins.
1973 Don Shula, Miami Dolphins.
1974 Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers.
1975 Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers.
1976 John Madden, Oakland Raiders, DNP.
1977 Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys.
1978 Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers.
1979 Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers.
1980 Tom Flores, Oakland Raiders.
1981 Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1982 Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins, DNP.
1983 Tom Flores, Los Angeles Raiders.
1984 Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1985 Mike Ditka, Chicago Bears.
1986 Bill Parcells, New York Giants, DNP.
1987 Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins, DNP.
1988 Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1989 George Seifert, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1990 Bill Parcells, New York Giants, DNP.
1991 Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins, DNP.
1992 Jimmy Johnson, Dallas Cowboys, DNP.
1993 Jimmy Johnson, Dallas Cowboys, DNP.
1994 George Seifert, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1995 Barry Switzer, Dallas Cowboys, DNP.
1996 Mike Holmgren, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1997 Mike Shanahan, Denver Broncos, DNP.
1998 Mike Shanahan, Denver Broncos, DNP.
1999 Dick Vermeil, St. Louis Rams, DNP.
2000 Brian Billick, Baltimore Ravens, DNP.
2001 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2002 John Gruden, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, DNP.
2003 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2004 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2005 Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh Steelers.
2006 Tony Dungy, Indianapolis Colts.
2007 Tom Coughlin, New York Giants, DNP.
2008 Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers, DNP.
2009 Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints.  (Played only as 1987 replacement player during strike)
2010 Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
2011 Tom Coughlin, New York Giants, DNP.
2012 John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens, DNP.
2013 Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks, DNP.
2014 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2015 Gary Kubiak, Denver Broncos.
2016 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2017 Doug Pederson, Philadelphia Eagles.

AAFC Championship Winners:

1946 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1947 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1948 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1949 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.

AFL Championship Winners:

1960 Lou Rymkus, Houston Oilers, played in AAFC.
1961 Wally Lemm, Houston Oilers, DNP.
1962 Hank Stram, Dallas Texans, DNP.
1963 Sid Gillman, San Diego Chargers, DNP.
1964 Lou Saban, Buffalo Bills, played in AAFC.
1965 Lou Saban, Buffalo Bills, played in AAFC.


Most NFL Titles Won:

6 George Halas (1 Pre-Championship, 5 Championship Era)
6 Curly Lambeau (3 Pre-Championship, 3 Championship Era)
5 Vince Lombardi (3 Championship Era, 2 Super Bowls)
5 Bill Belichick (5 Super Bowls)  (As of  now, still actively coaching)
4 Guy Chamberlin, (4 Pre-Championship)
4 Chuck Noll, (4 Super Bowls)
3 Paul Brown (3 Championship Era) (7 if you count AAFC titles)
3 Weeb Ewbank, (2 Championship Era, 1 Super Bowl)
3 Bill Walsh (3 Super Bowls)
3 Joe Gibbs (3 Super Bowls)


Coaches Who Won Titles With More Than 1 Team (not counting city/franchise name changes):

Guy Chamberlin, Canton/Cleveland Bulldogs (3), Frankford Yellow Jackets (1)
Weeb Ewbank, Baltimore Colts (2), New York Jets (1)


Coaches Who Won Titles in 3 Consecutive Years:

Guy Chamberlin, 1922-24
Curly Lambeau, 1929-31
Vince Lombardi, 1965-67


Coach Who Won 4 Titles in 5 Years:

Guy Chamberlin, 1922-24, 1926.


NFL Title Winning Coach Who Also Won a World Series as a Player:

Greasy Neale won 2 NFL titles with the Philadelphia Eagle (1948-49), and also played on the Cincinnati Reds 1919 World Series winner.  (In which he batted .357, had a .400 on base percentage, and slugged .464.)  However, that was the infamous "Black Sox" Series, when many of the opposing Chicago White Sox players were paid off by gangsters to lose the Series, so there's that.


NFL Titles Won by Co-Coaches:

    In 1943 the Chicago Bears were coached by both Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos.  (Regular head coach George Halas was fighting in World War II from 1942-45.)